Busted

It seems that all of the significant women in my life (my mother, my grandmothers, my friends, and myself) have all had poochy bellies. My mother used to call it “the Griffith belly” after her mother’s side of the family. She acted as if it were something we all inherited, like blue eyes and brown hair. She acted like it was a “given,” much akin to a curse, and there was nothing any of us could do about it.

I used to call my busted biscuit belly my post-pregnancy baby fat. When my youngest child turned 20, I figured I couldn’t blame it on him any longer, so I decided I’d try to do something about it.

Getting rid of the biscuit bulge in your midsection comes with good news and bad news. The bad news is that you won’t get rid of it by doing a gazillion crunches at the gym. That will help, but unfortunately, it will not solve the problem. Whew! I’m not so fond of crunches. Even people I know who have had midsection reduction surgery have had it reappear years later.

The good news is that you can make a difference by changing your diet plus doing aerobic exercise. Duh. It’s not rocket science folks, but you have to pay attention and be honest with yourself. Here are some ideas to help bust biscuit belly.

1. Exercise: Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days a week. Walking counts as long as it is a brisk walk that makes you sweat and makes your heart beat faster. If you pick up the pace and actually jog, you can get away with 20 minutes a day for 4 days a week. The key is to get your heart pumping. Stationary bikes, ellipticals, and rowing machines are also excellent for vigorous exercise.

2. Diet: There is no magic diet to get rid of your belly fat. There is also no magic pill. If there were, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. But with any diet that you choose, if you are losing weight, the belly fat will be reduced. Getting enough fiber (greens, raw veggies and fruits), curtailing sugar intake and not eating processed foods are the keys to keeping the pooch in check.

3. Sleep: Yep, it makes a difference. Shoot for at least 7 hours per night.

4. Stress: You are never going to be stress-free. How you manage your stress is what matters. I use exercise to help me blow off steam. You may like gardening, or hanging around with friends. Whatever works for you, make sure you are aware of it and don’t let stress dictate your life.

I know these solutions sound pretty simplistic, and they are no surprise. But if you are like me, any reminders help.

So think about it. Do it and keep doing it. With a little effort and some lifestyle changes, you can keep that biscuit belly under control.